The advent of drugs is nothing new. From as early as 5000 B.C. inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent, specifically the Sumerians, used opium to worship their idyllic gods. As time passed and the production of opium increased, the use of opium became widespread in China and the Far East. For the next centuries, the use of opium spread to all four corners of the globe. Prominent historical figures, such as Alexander the Great and Hernan Cortez, introduced opium to the various peoples they conquered. For the next centuries, all various walks of life were introduced to opium as it quickly spread throughout the globe.
The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries ushered in a new era of unprecedented opium use. As industry flourished in the western world, countries such as Great Britain, Germany, and the United States of America were forced to employ Chinese immigrant laborers to meet the rising demand for steel. These Asian workers not only toiled tirelessly on newly constructed railroads but also introduced opium smoking to numerous countries. Throughout the late 1850's more and more Americans became addicted to opium as smoking dens became rampant from hemisphere to hemisphere. In addition, new wonder drugs, morphine, heroin, and cocaine, forced the world to realize their first of many drug addictions.
Gradually, at the turn of the 20th century, countries around the world began to adopt effective restrictions against opium and other drug related abuses. A global effort began to reduce the production of opium. Incredibly, by the start of WWII, Earth's first bout with illegal drugs had become so minimal that it was merely considered a minor social problem. However, in the 1960's illegal drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics exploded on the scene, and a new generation embraced drugs. This decade marked the heyday of illegal drug use throughout the globe. By the 1970's domestic organizations spawned in numerous countries, such as America's Drug Enforcement Administration that was founded in 1973..
*The History Channel has produced this objectively shot video, highlighting the evolution of illegal drugs.
Below is a brief index of various illegal drugs:
Cannabis (marijuana) has a very long history dating back all the way to the Neolithic Age.
Cocaine was originally consumed by eating coca leaves and was used most exclusively by South American Natives in the 16th century.
Cocaine was brought into the mainstream in 1860 when Dr. Albert Niemann extracted pure cocaine powder from coca leaves.
Heroin was first made by C.R. Alder Wright in 1874 at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, England.
Ecstasy was first made in 1912 in Germany by a chemist named Anton Köllisch. Ecstasy didn't become popular as a drug until the 1980's.
LSD was discovered in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman. He discovered it while looking for a pain - killer for migraines.
History Of Illegal Drugs
The advent of drugs is nothing new. From as early as 5000 B.C. inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent, specifically the Sumerians, used opium to worship their idyllic gods. As time passed and the production of opium increased, the use of opium became widespread in China and the Far East. For the next centuries, the use of opium spread to all four corners of the globe. Prominent historical figures, such as Alexander the Great and Hernan Cortez, introduced opium to the various peoples they conquered. For the next centuries, all various walks of life were introduced to opium as it quickly spread throughout the globe.
The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries ushered in a new era of unprecedented opium use. As industry flourished in the western world, countries such as Great Britain, Germany, and the United States of America were forced to employ Chinese immigrant laborers to meet the rising demand for steel. These Asian workers not only toiled tirelessly on newly constructed railroads but also introduced opium smoking to numerous countries. Throughout the late 1850's more and more Americans became addicted to opium as smoking dens became rampant from hemisphere to hemisphere. In addition, new wonder drugs, morphine, heroin, and cocaine, forced the world to realize their first of many drug addictions.
Gradually, at the turn of the 20th century, countries around the world began to adopt effective restrictions against opium and other drug related abuses. A global effort began to reduce the production of opium. Incredibly, by the start of WWII, Earth's first bout with illegal drugs had become so minimal that it was merely considered a minor social problem. However, in the 1960's illegal drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics exploded on the scene, and a new generation embraced drugs. This decade marked the heyday of illegal drug use throughout the globe. By the 1970's domestic organizations spawned in numerous countries, such as America's Drug Enforcement Administration that was founded in 1973..
*The History Channel has produced this objectively shot video, highlighting the evolution of illegal drugs.
Below is a brief index of various illegal drugs: